"Ta hui shui Putonghua"...."He speaks Chinese." That is what I told my son when I met our so called "interpreter" at the doctor's office.

I guess I spoke too soon as I found out that this "interpreter" hereafter referred to as "Mr.Thinks-he-speaks-Chinese" had lived in Taiwan for two years as a missionary, but had been back home for two years and hadn't really used his Chinese in the interim. Not only that, missionary work doesn't lend itself to knowing medical vocabulary for a doctor's appointment.

When the doctor entered the room, he asked my son how to say his Chinese name. Mr. Thinks-he-speaks-Chinese just sat there, so after a brief silence I turned and asked my son... more